I have been inspired by the efforts of Surrey-Fleetwood MLA Jagrup Brar, who has taken up the challenge of living a month off of $610, the allotment for those who rely on welfare.
I cannot accept the cynical political commentary that associates Jagrup’s acceptance of Raise the Rates’ organizational challenge.
Mr. Brar, like the legendary Emery Barnes before him, is walking the walk and really experiencing the hardship brought about by the inadequate support offered by this government.
His experiences should not be taken for granted. They are providing us with a telling account of what 180,000 people go through to survive each and every month in B.C. We have a collective responsibility to consider these difficulties with greater insight and understanding.
In the process of Mr. Brar’s efforts, the Surrey community is learning about the many non-profit organizations that exist in our local community and throughout the province that help to fill in the gaps for welfare recipients.
This network of assistance should no longer operate in isolation, and I commend the efforts of Mr. Brar to unite us all through these crucial societal issues.
B.C. should be judged by our most vulnerable citizens, and that assessment should propel all of us to take heed and fight for change.
Let’s fix this problem, and leave politics and grandstanding out of the process.
Raj Hundal